Alabama vs. Texas A&M 2017 live stream: Start time and how to watch online

The Texas A&M Aggies have been able to be the thorn in the Alabama Crimson Tide’s side in the past. If the Aggies can do it again in 2017, it might just save Kevin Sumlin’s job. The two teams meet in Week 6 of the NCAA football season; kickoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN (live stream).

The A&M head coach has righted his ship after a rocky start that featured an opening-week loss in a game where the Aggies led by as many as 34 points. Texas A&M has won four straight games, but the toughest competition in that streak was either a rebuilding South Carolina team or a struggling Arkansas one. Alabama is on a whole different plane than those two SEC opponents, having dispatched its two conference foes by an aggregate score of 125-3.

Now things get interesting. With a lack of Bama Effect, the SEC gets dragged down, while the incredibly top-heavy Big Ten gets dragged down by not having many middle-class teams. There are four B1G teams among the top nine, but only two others are in even the top 40.

Texas A&M is leading the SEC with 20 sacks. Thirteen of those have come in the last two games against Arkansas and South Carolina.

All 13 of these sacks have been produced by front seven players:

If I had to rank things by job security I’d probably put Tennessee at the top here above A&M, but besides that Bama will roll through the SEC’s hottest seats almost in order (and the Tide host the Hogs, Vols and Tigers). It is at least conceivable that these next four opponents could all have new coaches next season. Add in the Ole Miss team under interim coach Matt Luke that Alabama just waxed 66-3, and you have five straight Bama opponents that may very well have a new man in charge next season.

Sprained MCL seems to be the consensus, with a typical three-to-four week recovery time. That should put Hand back on the field in time for the LSU game on Nov. 4. Great news if that turns out to be the case.

OK; SEC play has been fun as hell to watch. Go down two TDs down against Bert’s squad, get a bum call on a long TD to rob the team of four points? No problem, win in OT. Get down to the Cocks? Rack up seven sacks and get the 12th man all riled up to win in the fourth quarter. Not a bad resume for a young team.

Alabama has gotten strong contributions from Hurts (and also his backup, Tua Tagovailoa) in the passing game, but the team’s true strength is on the ground. The Tide rushed for 496 yards against Vanderbilt and 365 against Ole Miss, setting a collision course with an Aggie defense that ranks 15th in the nation when it comes to stopping the run in 2017.

The Aggies are 0-4 in their last four games against the Crimson Tide. That streak continues as Bama rolls.